Television

We have the technology.

We can rebuild him.

We can make the world’s first Bionic Man.

Four decades ago kids everywhere thrilled to that opening of one of their favorite TV shows, The Six Million Dollar Man starring Lee Majors as the titular hero… Steve Austin.

Well New jersey Publisher Dynamite Entertainment since 2014 has been bringing us various slim revivals of everyone’s favorite slow motion super powered hero.

[Slim- A stapled publication, consisting of words and pictures telling a narrative in periodical format, typically monthly doses, told in scant pages in a highly portable format, with eye catching covers and interiors. Also known by the more widely used misnomer of comic books.]

And 2016 mini-series THE FALL OF MAN written by Van Jensen with art by Ron Salas and Letters by Taylor Esposito and colors by Mike Atiyeh and Caitlin McCarthy, is the companies fourth time at bat with this property and is their most successful. As it takes place in the 80s, in a cold world, where the wall has not yet fallen. but the year is never implicitly stated; instead the time is set in inventive and satirical story beats and sight gags.

From 80s star references to a bit of lampooning of the high tech marvels of the day (Such as portable phones in the early 80s, truly monstrously sized things by today’s standards, but back then they were marvels. Same with the room sized computers that had less processing power than even your low-end laptop today); while all the while telling a crackerjack action story of betrayal, globe trotting espionage, and bionic feats of derring-do.

It’s just a fun series.

And while Ron Salas figure drawing at first strikes as merely serviceable, his use of layouts and panel composition and inventive storytelling is exceptional, as are his covers for this series. I’ve read all issues of the series to date, and they have all been exceptional and come highly recommended.

If late to the party have no fear, as all issues are available at the link below.

Use the below link, get great books, and support this blog, as every purchase though the link, generates a couple pennies to keep this blog bringing you the best in Pop Culture finds!

Last year I became a huge fan of the BBC car show TOP GEAR. Thanks to catching episodes of past seasons on Netflix. It took a couple episodes for me to warm up to the show, but quite quickly the natural camaraderie of the hosts, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May made a believer out of me.

The shows were just plain fun. So when news came that one of the trinity was no longer going to be on the show, due to punching out one of the producers, and the other 2/3rds quitting to join him, I was dismayed. No more of the show that I had in quick order made a binge watch favorite.

And yes there was the American TOP GEAR, but the hosts there came off as annoying frat boys, making the show quite unwatchable. Nope it was clear that what made BBC’s TOP GEAR a long running hit, was the fun dynamic of the three hosts they had stupidly lost.

So when it was announced that AMAZON was giving the three ex-hosts a new car show, I couldn’t wait. Well tonight the waiting ended as the first episode of THE GRAND TOUR dropped. And it’s great. Different but great. There are minor quibbles, the biggest being the absolutely awful ‘THE AMERICAN’ driver.

Their take on the very popular “STIG’ driver of TOP GEAR, but a very poor take it is. Being something of a very unfunny send-up of Ugly American cliches. The ‘AMERICAN’ is very annoying, very unfunny, and is a bit that hopefully they will pull the plug on in short order.

That aside, the rest of the show and the skits and the cars and the banter of the hosts is great! And the opening sequence is quite frankly awesome. A welcome premiere and looking forward to the upcoming Friday release of new shows!

I’ve been trying out the Amazon Fire lately. It’s interface takes a bit of getting used to if you are used to the Roku, but for the most part is very navigation friendly.

It allows the easy install of the three must have paid channels, NETFLIX, AMAZON PRIME, and HULU; however it also offers a selection of excellent free channels. Not as extensive as Roku, but it has a solid selection.

So without further preamble, The best free apps/channels for Amazon Fire are:

CRACKLE – It’s selection can use updating, but offers a nice feature of being able to watch a show while searching their list of titles

TUBITV- arguably the best selection of content on any free channel, including notables not available on the paid channels

SNAGFILMS – It’s selection needs updating, but highligts a few movies that may fall through the cracks of the other channels

For the most part the above channels are easy to load and navigate, offer good content, and keep the ads to a minimum. Three things that the below apps/channels fail to do, and hence end up in our hall of shame.

YOUTUBE and VIMEO – convenient for staying abreast of movie trailers and finding short films and other hard to find content

PLUTO TV- The cable experience, without the cable price

The worst Amazon Fire Channels/Apps are:

KINO LORBER – Horrible navigation issues, mediocre content

GO INDIE TV – Navigation issues, and more mediocre content

SCREAMBOX – You’ll be screaming at what a waste of time this channel is. Lackluster content, poor navigation menu

COMICBOOKCAST2 – is basically a podcast with static pics, Not worth the time to download.

So there you go, the best and worst channels on Amazon Fire. Feel free to comment with your picks for best and worst!

THE PLAYER – Any chance you get to see Wesley Snipes kicking ass, is must see television as far as I’m concerned, so the recent announcement of NBC cancelling the series, after only a measly 9 episodes, when it has higher rastings than ELEMENTARY and CSI is misguided.

As misguided as TBS cancelling LONGMEYER.

But like LONGMEYER there’s a rumor out there that the action packed THE PLAYER may get picked up by Netflix, to finish their aborted series.

HOT

THE MICE– The high contrast and deep focus photography of this episode by the brilliant Conrad Hall is a standout, as is the performances of all involved, particularly the always reliable Henry Silva as Chino, a convict asked to volunteer for a decidedly out of this world mission. And the episode is enriched by Diana Sands, a brilliant actress of stage and screen, who simply shines here as Dr. Julia Harrison. Directed by Alan Crosland Jr, a go to director for television for over three decades, it sports one of the more disturbing aliens. A Solidly captivating episode. B.

NOT

DON’T OPEN TILL DOOMSDAY – There has to be a point to this episode, but I find myself unable to locate it. Grade : Avoid. This is a decided miss.

Netflix continues to just hit it out of the park these days. As smart and succesful as Marvel Studios has been crafting the most succesful movie Franchise in history, Netflix is making those kinds of historic strides in the area of streaming entertainment.

The quality of the projects they produce and they purchase is just phenomenally high. They know how to pick and make great projects, from HOUSE OF CARDS to LONGMEYER to DAREDEVIL they have not just made good shows for a streaming channel, they are making great and groundbreaking television… by anyone’s definition.

JESSICA JONES, the 2nd of their Marvel Universe properties, continues that midas touch streak. Three episodes in and I’m loving it. It’s a different beast from DAREDEVIL, perhaps not as compulsively brilliant, it’s more of a slow burn, but so far that’s working out just fine.

Brian Michael Bendis, the writer whose graphic novel ALIAS this series is based on, and the producer on this series, should be justifiabbly pleased. This series so far is doing justice to his acclaimed graphic novel, while being distinctly its own thing.

If you are not watching it yet, my recommendation is to start. It is very good. Oh, and for mature viewers only.🙂

TWILIGHT ZONE “THE INVADERS” – This episode of Rod Serling’s aptly clasiic and legendary series is TWILIGHT ZONE at its best.

It’s hard to understand, to truly grasp, 60 years later, in a world largely shaped by TWILIGHT ZONES beats, how innovative and groundbreaking, and frightening, and wondrous, this show was to a generation, just starting to take real strides into exploring what lies beyond. Written by Richard Matheson and directed by Douglas Heyes, and starring Orson Welles favorite actress from the Mercury Studio’s days, the great Agnes Moorehead.

I don’t know of an actress of the period who could have carried this episode as well then, I scarecely can think of any one now.

All involved, working together to imbue what should be ludicrous with true dread and nail biting suspense and horror. Moorehead in a wordless snarling, unglamarous, terrified, wretched, and enraged performance, a vulnerable, naked, egoless performance, is largely the whole show here, and with typical gorgeous Twilight Zone cinematography, by George T. Clemens, and compelling music by Jerry Goldsmaith, she sells it, making this one of THE TWILIGHT ZONE’s best episodes.

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